Monday, July 9, 2012

Energy News Digest for July 9, 2012


All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

THE NEWS DIGEST ON TWITTER

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Backers of Thurston County Public Power Submit 15,000 Signatures - Verification will take several days; another group urges voters to deny support (Olympian WA)

Grays Harbor PUD Poised to Sell Turbine to Paper Mill Investors (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Broadband Effort on Whidbey & Camano Islands Hits the Wall (Whidbey News-Times, Coupeville, WA)

Editorial - Farewell, NoaNet (Wenatchee World, WA)

Northern Pikeminnow Reward Catch Increased This Past Week (Seattle Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
  • Backers of Thurston County Public Power Submit 15,000 Signatures
  • Editorial - Columbia River Treaty Is Key for the Entire Region
  • FERC Accepting Comments on Proposed Kalama Natural Gas Pipeline
  • Kite Knocks Out Power in Spokane Valley
  • Chelan County Annual Report - John Janney: Studying the Community to Learn about the Needs
  • Three Short-Listed for Vancouver Island Generating-Station Job
  • Energy Market Manipulation? Judge Orders JPMorgan to Explain Withholding Emails
  • Trees, Above-Ground Wires Biggest Culprits in Mid-Atlantic Power Outages
  • Little Girl, Tired Of West Virginia Power Outage: ‘You Need To Come & Fix It’
  • Opinion - Storm Coverage: The Washington Post Didn’t Pass the Test
  • Natural Gas Sets Record by Matching Coal’s Output
  • The Direct Costs of Energy - Hydro & Nuclear Best, Solar Still Lagging
  • North Carolina Official Probes Utility Merger after CEO Change
  • Editorial - Electric Merger Jolts Customers While Conscience Outage Hits Duke Energy
  • Northern Pikeminnow Reward Catch Increased This Past Week
  • Remember That Fishing Moratorium on the Elwha River?
  • Logging Companies Join Suit over Marbled Murrelet Habitat in Oregon Forests
  • Tennessee - Fishy Situation: Thousands of Fish Die from Excessive Heat
  • Washington State Governor Names New Leader for Puget Sound Restoration
  • Elwha River Restoration - Park Officials: Don’t Take Objects from Undammed Lakes
  • California - Drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir?
  • Grays Harbor PUD Poised to Sell Turbine to Paper Mill Investors
  • Michigan Voters May See Renewable Energy Mandate on Ballot
  • United Kingdom - Wind Farm Scrapped over Fears for Birds
  • Kitsap County Shoots for 30-Percent Energy Savings
  • Record Heat, Derecho Storm; Does Global Warming Get Blame?
  • Glacier National Park the Backdrop for Climate Lessons
  • U-S Drivers Slow to Embrace All-Electric Vehicles
  • Broadband Effort on Whidbey & Camano Islands Hits the Wall
  • Editorial - Farewell, NoaNet
  • Broadband Speeds Outpacing Demand
  • A Visual Guide to Undersea Cables & Their $5.5 Billion Price Tag
  • A Northwest Pipeline to Silicon Valley
  • U-S Senator Maria Cantwell Faces Tough Race Despite Funds
  • Pennsylvania - Scranton’s Public Workers now Paid Minimum Wage
  • Officials: Chelan Wildfire Human Caused
  • Internet Providers Bracing for Calls about Malware
  • Good News in Mason & Kitsap County Home Sales
  • Banking On Repeat of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet
  • Longtime KGY Play-By-Play Broadcaster Dick Nichols Turns Off His Mic
WORD OF THE DAY

Hydromancy • \HYE-druh-man-see\ • Divination by the appearance or motion of liquids

The tall, handsome PUD dam operator strode to the control panels and eased himself into the cushioned desk chair, prepared for another shift of controlling the mighty flow of water through the churning turbines at the hydroelectric plant. Little would his co-workers know that his mild-mannered appearance disguised a double life. Not only did he practice hydromancy in a practical sense during the day (generating electricity to power television sets, radios, cellphones, and many other devices), but at night he was the feared crime fighter known as the “Hydromancer,” bending water to his will to capture the most heinous scofflaws.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Backers of Thurston County Public Power Submit 15,000 Signatures - Verification will take several days; another group urges voters to deny support (Olympian WA)

Editorial - Columbia River Treaty Is Key for the Entire Region (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

FERC Accepting Comments on Proposed Kalama Natural Gas Pipeline (Longview Daily News, WA)

Kite Knocks Out Power in Spokane Valley (KHQ TV, Spokane, WA)

Chelan County Annual Report - John Janney: Studying the Community to Learn about the Needs (Wenatchee World, WA)

Three Short-Listed for Vancouver Island Generating-Station Job - New figures show construction in good health (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

Energy Market Manipulation? Judge Orders JPMorgan to Explain Withholding Emails (Reuters)

Trees, Above-Ground Wires Biggest Culprits in Mid-Atlantic Power Outages (USA Today)

Little Girl, Tired Of West Virginia Power Outage: ‘You Need To Come & Fix It’ (Huffington Post)

Opinion - Storm Coverage: The Washington Post Didn’t Pass the Test (Washington Post)

Natural Gas Sets Record by Matching Coal’s Output (USA Today)

The Direct Costs of Energy - Hydro & Nuclear Best, Solar Still Lagging (Forbes Magazine)

North Carolina Official Probes Utility Merger after CEO Change (Associated Press)

Editorial - Electric Merger Jolts Customers While Conscience Outage Hits Duke Energy (Charlotte News & Observer, NC)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Northern Pikeminnow Reward Catch Increased This Past Week (Seattle Times)

Remember That Fishing Moratorium on the Elwha River? (Seattle Times)

Logging Companies Join Suit over Marbled Murrelet Habitat in Oregon Forests (Associated Press)

Tennessee - Fishy Situation: Thousands of Fish Die from Excessive Heat (USA Today)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Governor Names New Leader for Puget Sound Restoration (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Elwha River Restoration - Park Officials: Don’t Take Objects from Undammed Lakes (Associated Press)

California - Drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir? San Francisco Voters May Get the Chance in November to Start the Process (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Grays Harbor PUD Poised to Sell Turbine to Paper Mill Investors (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Michigan Voters May See Renewable Energy Mandate on Ballot (The Detroit News, MI)

United Kingdom - Wind Farm Scrapped over Fears for Birds: Docking Shoal scheme shelved & £10m wasted on the £1.5bn wind power project (The Guardian, UK)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Kitsap County Shoots for 30-Percent Energy Savings (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Record Heat, Derecho Storm; Does Global Warming Get Blame? (USA Today)

Glacier National Park the Backdrop for Climate Lessons (The Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

U-S Drivers Slow to Embrace All-Electric Vehicles (USA Today)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Broadband Effort on Whidbey & Camano Islands Hits the Wall (Whidbey News-Times, Coupeville, WA)

Editorial - Farewell, NoaNet (Wenatchee World, WA)

Broadband Speeds Outpacing Demand (Boston Globe, MA)

A Visual Guide to Undersea Cables & Their $5.5 Billion Price Tag (GigaOM)

A Northwest Pipeline to Silicon Valley (NY Times)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

U-S Senator Maria Cantwell Faces Tough Race Despite Funds (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Pennsylvania - Scranton’s Public Workers now Paid Minimum Wage (National Public Radio)

GENERAL NEWS

Officials: Chelan Wildfire Human Caused (Associated Press)

Internet Providers Bracing for Calls about Malware (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Good News in Mason & Kitsap County Home Sales (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Banking On Repeat of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet - Olympia man seeks to revive sail-powered commerce (Olympian, WA)

Longtime KGY Play-By-Play Broadcaster Dick Nichols Turns Off His Mic (The Olympian, WA)

DIVERSIONS

Three Million Mile Volvo: Long Island Man’s P1800S Won’t Quit

The Shredder Behind ‘100 Guitar Licks’ Speaks

‘The Hobbit’ Director Peter Jackson Announces End of Principal Photography

Ernest Borgnine: An Actor with Nearly Seven Decades on Screen

SONG OF THE DAY

McHale’s Navy Theme Song

The Poseidon Adventure Main Theme